Telematics units within mobile vehicles provide subscribers with connectivity to a telematics service provider (TSP). The TSP provides subscribers with an array of services ranging from emergency call handling and stolen vehicle recovery to diagnostics monitoring, global navigation system aided position identification, map services, and turn-by-turn navigation assistance. Telematics units are often provisioned and activated at a point of sale when a subscriber purchases a telematics-equipped vehicle. Once provisioned and activate, telematics units can be utilized by a subscriber to obtain telematics services, such as those described herein, from the TSP.
One service provided by a TSP is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based navigation service. GNSS is a generic term referring to any of multiple satellite constellation-based global positioning networks including, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation. Another GNSS constellation network is the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). A particular example of a GNSS based navigation service is the provision of turn-by-turn (TBT) directions from a current location of a vehicle or an alternative start location to a specified destination.
In addition to receiving telematics services at a telematics unit of a vehicle, subscribers may also connect to a TSP through mobile devices that are not physically connected to a vehicle. For example, a subscriber may be able to connect to a TSP and receive telematics services through a smart phone, a tablet computer, or another communication device. Such communication devices enable subscribers to receive telematics services while at a location remote from the telematics equipped vehicle. Services provided through such mobile communication services are often ancillary to the services provided directly to the vehicle, and may include billing and payment services and account management.